[[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Answer","name":"Answer Question1","text":"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as \u201cany activity that diverts attention from driving.\u201d  The most common distractions involve talking on a cell phone, texting or engaging in some other use of an electronic device while driving. Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it involves all three of the above types of distractions. According to the NHTSA, the average text message takes a driver\u2019s eyes off the road for five seconds, which is long enough to drive the length of an entire football field when a driver is traveling 55 miles per hour.   However, the use of cell phones is not the only kind of distraction. Eating, drinking, smoking, grooming, reading, watching in-vehicle entertainment, and interacting with pets or other passengers are also distractions that can lead to car accidents.","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Answer"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Answer","name":"Answer Question2","text":"If a person becomes distracted while driving and, in turn, causes an accident, then that person can and should be held liable for any damage that the driver causes. For instance, instead of paying attention to the road, the driver may have been putting on makeup in a mirror or reaching into the back seat to steady a pet. As a result, the driver may have failed to see a red light or a pedestrian with the right of way who was crossing the road at an intersection. Distracted driving is, in most cases, a form of negligent driving.  If a driver was texting and driving at the time when he or she caused an accident, the driver's negligence may be presumed as a matter of law. This is because South Carolina law, since 2014, has banned drivers from texting while driving. This is a legal concept known as negligence per se.  However, the driver may not be the only one who is held responsible for a distracted driving accident. In some situations, a driver's employer may be responsible, too. An investigation would need to determine whether the driver was acting in the scope of his or her employment at the time of the distracted driving accident. For instance, was the driver making a delivery? Was the driver on the phone with his or her boss, talking about a work matter?  At McKinney, Tucker & Lemel LLC, our car accident lawyers work hard to identify all parties who should be held liable for auto accidents that have harmed our clients. Our goal is to discover all sources of compensation that are available to our clients.","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Answer1"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","name":"Rock Hill Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers FAQ","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","acceptedAnswer":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Answer"},"name":"What Is a Distracted Driving Accident?","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Question1"},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who Could Be Held Liable for a South Carolina Distracted Driving Accident?","acceptedAnswer":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Answer1"},"@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Question2"}],"@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#FAQPage"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Question","name":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#Question"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Car Accidents","item":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Distracted Driving Accidents","item":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyers\/distracted-driving-accidents\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]